i love wednesdays! i don't have to work, i can stay home and read all i like! haha, no... i don't hate work, just that i'm a lazybones who prefers to do nothing at home if i could.

i'm hopelessly addicted to books. whenever i'm free i can't stop reading, even to do things i like (playing piano, eating, listening to music, sleeping etc), or to do things i have to (prepare lessons, do housework etc). this phenomenon didn't just spring up suddenly, i only noticed it because recently i've had more free time than when i was still studying. only weeks ago i gave away most of my childhood books to my mother's colleague's daughter, who was so excited and fascinated by them that it made me happy and contented, although before that i had been reluctant to give the books away. reason told me i had no use for the books anymore, i just felt like keeping them in the cupboard, if only for the sake of looking at them occasionally. but what's the use of that anyway, taking up space in the cupboard and indirectly causing my room to be strewn with other things that have no cupboard to belong to.

so when i went to kinokuniya with kankan the past two weekends, i just couldn't resist the books on the shelves screaming at me to read them! i think so far i've spent $92.30 on my kinokuniya trips. that could have bought a box set... maybe someone's symphonies, or many more cds... about 3-4 cds?! i always feel a little guilty for spending my money on books when i guess it'll have been better used if i had bought cds or scores. but i'll end up convincing myself that what's the harm of reading anyway, it's supposed to improve your english. haha, notice the word supposed... i don't think it has helped my english. maybe that's because i've been reading fantasy books. i don't see what's wrong with that, but elitists such as a man we met at kino the other day think they're trash. this particular man - a self-proclaimed poet - was pestering an expat browsing at the literature section, trying to advise him on what books and authors to read... and pursuaded the poor expat to read his poems. after the expat glanced through the poems, he finally made an excuse and got away. maybe the poet was very enthusiastic about literature (or maybe he was trying to "save face" after being rejected by the expat), when he turned and saw kk and i browsing at the fantasy section, he said, "so, you like to read these sort of books huh, might as well go back and watch television... blahblahblah" okay, what was i supposed to say in reply? i just stood there staring at him (oops, so rude of me! =p) and i think kk was equally shocked or surprised because she stood there speechless too.

i like books because they bring you somewhere else... and you can just escape from this world whenever you're reading. another reason why i like to read is because i'm the type that likes to be cooped up (ok, not exactly cooped up...) erm, that likes to stay in my room all day... yes, i prefer that to going shopping with friends! out of necessity and many other reasons, of course i can't keep myself in my room everyday... but i hope when i grow old and finally have some time to myself i can do that =) . i was also partly influenced by kk to read fantasy books. of course most of my childhood books were fantasy books for children, but ever since then i've been reading my brother's books (save money!)... mainly tom clancy, john grisham... and lots of mystery books. after i bought the first harry potter book for his birthday many years ago (no prizes for guessing why i bought it ;P), we've been sharing the cost of the rest of the harry potter books. until now, the only two fantasy books that i've read and owned were the hobbit and the lord of the rings... it was one of the books in a list of "suggested books" to read during school holidays at the end of sec 3. i was drawn by the title but even after i bought it i never found time to read it until when i finally started on it, the first movie was already showing. when i finished the book i was equally excited by the movie... haha, sometimes when i'm not reading i'll be watching the vcd. maybe one day i'll be like kk, remembering every single dialogue in the movie! =?

okay, enough about books... i better go practise piano before i mess up big time during lesson later.